I'll Send You Her Picture.
Min-Jung swallowed nervously. She couldn't tell her mother, not yet. The lady always overreacted over the slightest things.
"I'm not pregnant, I just don't feel too well today, and as a matter of fact, I find everything nauseating, not just Kimchi," She said, turning back to pick an outfit.
Her mother stared hard at her back for some seconds. "If you say so, then. Remind me to give you a bottle of wild-strawberry juice for Nana tomorrow," Her mother said and walked out of the room.
When her mother stepped out of her room, Min-Jung released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
That was a very close one. She had to be more careful. Her mother's knack for suspecting her was beginning to prove problematic.
**********
Mr. Lee couldn't sleep; he watched Nana as she slept. She reminded him so much of her mother. He picked up the last picture they had taken together before her death and walked into the living room.
He just sat there staring at the picture, her love for him had been so pure and potent. She had defied everyone who had stood up against them.
Had she not done that, she probably would still have been alive. She wouldn't have died of that illness simply because they had gotten the money for her surgery too late.
She had remained stubborn and angry till the end. Insisting she would rather die than go to them for help.
Maybe love isn't as selfless as it was often painted. Because if his love for her had been selfless, he probably would have done right by her.
Nana woke up and realized her father wasn't in the room; she noticed the light was on in the living room, so she went in to see what he was doing.
"Why are you here again? It would help if you tried to get some sleep," She said, sitting beside him while rubbing her eyes sleepily.
He held her close as she lay her head on his shoulder. "I miss your mother every day," He said misty-eyed.
"I miss her very much too. I wish she were still here," Nana said. She still couldn't understand how both her parents were orphans. All they had had was each other until she came along, and all she had was them until her mother's death.
"It's all my fault. I wish I had done the right thing," He said with a note of regret.
"You tried all you could. Stop blaming yourself," She said as she dozed off.
He stared at her; how could he tell her they'd been lying to her the whole time? How could he tell her that her mother could have survived had he gone to her family sooner?
It was best he let her sleep, he said to himself as he carefully dropped the picture and led her back to the room.
**********
Tan was in a very grumpy state when he got to his office. He had been unable to sleep all night, and when he had finally managed to drift off, he had dreamt of Nana the whole time. He missed the glint in her eyes.
He had gone inside her room only to find out Mi-Ok had cleaned it up and washed off the scent of Nana from the sheets, as well as the party gown.
She hadn't resumed work by the time he left for the office, and he needed someone to bark at.
Everyone could tell he wasn't in a good mood as he strode past them without responding to anyone's greeting.
How could she come into his life only to change it and leave without a trace? If he ever found her, he was going to make her pay for putting him through so much misery, he promised himself.
He picked up his phone to call Min-Jung's boss again; after the fifth ring, there was a reluctant "Hello," at the other end of the line.
Tan didn't even care for such an attitude, all he wanted was answers, and if it meant leaving for Seoul immediately, he would do just that.
"I'm sure you know why I'm calling," He said, waiting for the other man to talk.
"She quit her job already," The man said reluctantly.
"Quit? Because of me? Did you tell her I called?" Tan asked, fear suddenly creeping into his spine. What if he never got to see her again? What if he couldn't find her?
"I think she probably decided to quit her job before taking on this last job. She insisted I do not give you her contact as she doesn't want any form of communication with you," He said, wondering why he just won't give up.
Tan's heart squeezed in his chest. How could she be so mean? Did he mean so little to her? Was he so forgettable that she could forget him and all their time together in such a short while? He asked himself... Maybe he just had to find out for himself.
"Since she is no longer your staff, you should be able to give me her contact information. Please, give me whatever you can; even a picture will do," Tan pleaded desperately. He was willing to grovel on the floor to find Nana.
"A picture? You didn't snap any with her while she was there? How was your story believable? What if someone had wanted to check your phone for normal couple pictures?" The man asked incredulously as though that was the issue at hand.
Tan suddenly felt stupid; he realized the man was right. But he had been so engrossed with her presence that he hadn't thought about that.
"I still can't give you her contact information because she insisted I do not do so. However, I'll send you her picture right away," The man said, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.
"Hold on; she mentioned something about being a realtor and this being her part-time job. Do you know anything about that?" He asked, hoping that would help him get her company name.
"Realtor? That's not possible. This has been her full-time job. Maybe she just lied to you," The man said, chuckling at the thought of Min-Jung being a realtor.
"Thanks for your help. I'll be waiting to receive the picture," Tan said, disconnecting the call.
How could she have lied about something as simple as a job? What were the chances she had ever been honest with him? He asked himself as he received an alert indicating he had just received a message.